Hlabano dropped from BEC board

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 16, 2010 00:00

 

Shandukani Hlabano who was the only sitting member from the teachers' unions taking over from the former Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) general secretary, Keorapetse Kgasa was invited to sit on the board early this year as per the provisions of the BEC.

'I can confirm that I have been told to step down until the examination issue has been resolved,' Hlabano said yesterday adding that he was dropped two weeks ago during a board meeting that he was not allowed to be part of.

However the BEC spokesperson, Charles Keikotlhae said he was not aware that Hlabano was no longer part of the BEC board. He referred Mmegi to the BEC board secretariat Tendani Woto who referred Mmegi back to the BEC Executive Secretary Serara Moahi. Efforts to reach her were futile. 'There is no difference between BEC and the board. Whatever that they do is the same as when it has been done by the board,' Woto said.

This comes after the BEC and teachers reached an impasse on the external examinations, resulting in teachers boycotting the invigilation of the exams, throwing the whole process into chaos. BEC have since employed temporary invigilators while the Education Minister has opened dialogue with the unions to reach a compromise on the way forward concerning the marking of the examinations. The BEC board has been very quiet during the whole saga.